Sunday, July 19, featured two WNBA games hundreds of miles apart, but by the end of the night, they gave birth to one debate. The Dallas Wings defeated the Los Angeles Sparks in Arlington, while the Minnesota Lynx took care of the Portland Fire in Minneapolis. But in the meantime, Azzi Fudd finished with 11 points in 33 minutes for Dallas, while Olivia Miles posted 14 points in 34 minutes for Minnesota. And the discussion on comparison happened almost immediately. 

After a few hours of the games, WNBA journalist Savannah Hamilton fueled the conversation on X, writing, “Azzi Fudd didn’t have the same immediate start Olivia Miles did when entering the league, but her growth has been undeniable.” She added, “A major part of that was adjusting to the pace of the WNBA, and the strides she’s made since are absolutely worth highlighting!”

How highlighting? A month ago, Azzi scored a career-high 26 points. Also, she has taken a major role as the Dallas Wings are enjoying a six-game winning streak. Yet, the discussion on comparison has never stopped.

The discussion peaked when the Wings and Lynx met on June 28; both guards scored 21 points, with Fudd doing it in 38 minutes and Miles in 34. Not only that, but in early June, even the Lynx’s official social media account shared a post comparing the two before later deleting it. But despite the relentless comparisons, a large section believes Miles has had a stronger start to her WNBA career. And Hamilton’s point about Fudd not enjoying the “same immediate start” reflects that sentiment.

Miles has wasted no time making an impact, averaging around 18.5 points and nearly six assists per game while helping run one of the league’s most explosive offenses. Her stellar rookie campaign earned her a place in the WNBA All-Star starting lineup, putting her in rare company.

Fudd, meanwhile, has carved out her own role as one of Dallas’ top perimeter defenders and an elite off-ball shooter. She narrowly missed an All-Star selection but still finished fourth among guards in fan voting, showing just how quickly her popularity and impact have grown.

As impressive as both players have been, the debate is far from settled. And Hamilton’s take is only one side of the conversation; there are plenty of other opinions on how Azzi Fudd and Miles stack up against each other.

The ‘fragility’ opinion around Azzi Fudd and Olivia Miles comparisons 

The Fudd-Miles debate isn’t limited to fans. Before last month’s Wings-Lynx matchup, Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve entered the comparisons, making it clear that she sees both guards as elite talents for different reasons.

“What I said on draft night is that there were two players that had generational skills, I would now classify [Miles] as a generational talent… I think it’s really easy to identify great passing because there’s not a lot of players that are great at it, so instinctually so. And then with Azzi, the quick release, her actions, and scoring the basketball, you know, incredibly valuable,” Reeve said. 

Rather than choosing one over the other, Reeve highlighted what makes each player special: Miles for her elite playmaking instincts and Fudd for her quick release and natural scoring ability.

Meanwhile, sports analyst Cari Champion questioned why the comparisons have become so controversial. Speaking on the Flagrant and Funny podcast, she said, “The level of fragility surrounding some of these players doesn’t make sense. At the end of the game, the Lynx put up the stats, and it was Olivia versus Azzi, and there was all this uproar about how classless it was. People were legitimately upset by the comparisons. Is this not sport?” 

The debate isn’t going away anytime soon. Fans and analysts continue to compare the two rising stars, but Fudd and Miles have largely stayed out of the conversation. Instead of responding with words, both have let their performances do the talking on the court.